Cranes and like mechanical handling appliances



y 1962 A. HALLSWORTH 3,033,401

CRANES AND LIKE MECHANICAL HANDLING APPLIANCES Filed June 15, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Lwy INVENTOR:

y 1962 A. HALLSWORTH 3,033,401

CRANES AND LIKE MECHANICAL HANDLING APPLIANCES Filed June 13, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 121111: A I INVENTOR:

Arno Z 6! f/q Zlswori/z y 1962 A. HALLSWORTH 3,033,401

CRANES AND LIKE MECHANICAL HANDLING APPLIANCES Filed June 15, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: fir/mid f/aZ/JWarf/b United States Patent Ofitice 3,033,401 Patented May 8, 1962 3,033,401 CRANES AND LIKE MECHANICAL HANDLING APPLIANCES Arnold Hallsworth, Sunderland, England, assignor to Steels Engineering Products Limited, Sunderland, England Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,603 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 11, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 214672) This invention is for improvements in or relating to cranes and like mechanical handling appliances.

One object of the invention is to provide means whereby a crane can be adapted, as and when required, to serve the same purpose as a fork-lift or stacker-truck by which, for example, containers or palletized loads are commonly lifted and moved or transferred from place to place.

According to the present invention there is provided on or for use on a crane, a supplementary lifting appliance or attachment comprising an upwardly extending track or guideway and a carriage or platform movable along said track or guideway and having means for connecting it to a lifting hook or like anchorage of the crane so that said movement of the carriage can be effected or controlled through the lifting or hoisting means or tackle of the crane.

. In one preferred embodiment of the invention the track or guideway is in the form of a substantially vertical mast or column attached or adapted to be attached to the crane so that it can be tilted to a limited extent forwardly or backwardly from the vertical. Preferably this tilting movement is effected by coupling the mast or trackway to the jib of the crane, tilting of the mast or trackway then being effected by derricking or slightly raising or lowering the jib through the normal jib operating and control means of the crane. This tilting of the mast or trackway enables the carriage, when in its lowermost position (e.g. on or adjacent the ground) to be manipulated under a load after the manner of a fork-lift or stacker-truck. The load can then be lifted by raising the carriage through the operation of the lifting or hoisting tackle of the crane in the normal way. Tilting of the mast or guideway can also be utilized to manipulate or manoeuvre a load off the carriage.

Conveniently the mast or trackway is secured to the crane in a readily removable manner and in such a way that the jib or the crane can be used to lift the mast or track into and lower it from its operative position. v

One particular embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the'ac comp'anying semi-diagrammatic drawings and as applied to a slewing mobile crane. In the drawings: 1

1 FIGURE 1 is a side elevation.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of FIG- URE l but to a larger scale.

FIGURE 3 is a detail side elevation of the releasable suspension means for attaching the upper end of the supplementary lifting appliance to the jib of the crane.

FIGURE 4 is a detail view of a pin used in the suspen sion means shown in FIGURE 3, I

FIGURE 5 is a detail side elevation of the means for releasably securing the lower end of the supplementary lifting appliance to the slewing super-structure of the crane.

. FIGUREv 6 is a detail view of a pin used in the securing means shown in FIGURE 5 and FIGURE 7 is a side elevation showing a dismantling device which maybe provided to facilitate dismantling of the supplementary lifting appliance from the crane.

The crane shown on the drawings has a slewing superof lifting or hoisting tackle 12 provided with a lifting hook 13.

In this particular example shown on the drawings the supplementary lifting appliance comprises a portable column-like track, guide-way or slide-way 14 releasably articulated to the front of the super-structure 10, as indicated at 15, and to the jib 11 as indicated at 16. The arrangement is such that derricking or movement of the jib 11, about it horizontal pivotal support, will tilt the column-like track or slide-way 14 forwardly or rearwardly out of the vertical.

The means, indicated at 16 for articulating the track or slideway 14 to the jib comprises a shaft or trunnions 17 on the jib (see FIGURE 2) and jaws 18 (see FIG- URES 2 and 3) secured to the upper end of the track-way. The jaws are shaped so that when closed they provide a slot which slidably embraces the trunnions 17. The jaws 18 are hinged together at 20 and are secured in their closed position bya quick release pin 21 (see FIGURE 4) which, when the jaws are closed, screws into a tapped hole 22in one jaw and projects through a registering hole 23 in the other jaw. It will be appreciated that when the pin 21, which has an asymmetrical handle 24, is removed and the jaws 18 are opened the upper end of the track-way 14 can readily be detached from its suspension point on the jib. I

The lower securing point 15 for the track-way 14 comprises (see FIGURES 5 and 6) a bracket 25, on the superstructure 10, having a shaft or trunnions 26, and a bracket 27 on the lower end of the trackway 14. The bracket 27 hingedly supports, at 28, a jaw 29. The jaw 29 when closed is adapted pivotally to embrace the trunnions or shaft 26 on the bracket 25. The jaw 29 is secured in its closed position by the quick release pin 30 shown in FIG- URE 6. This pin has a screw threaded part adapted to screw into a tapped hole 31 in the bracket 27 and a plain part adapted to pass through a hole 32 in the bracket 27 and a plain part adapted to pass through a hole 32 in the jaw 29. The pin has an asymmetrical handle 33.

Slidable up and down in or on the column or track-way 14, so as to be guided thereby, is a carriage or fork-lift proper 34. This carriage or fork-lift proper has shoes or the like which interfit with slide-ways in the column or trackway 14 so as to retain in the carriage on the trackway and guide it in its upward and downward movement. The carriage 34 has a projecting bridge piece 35 provided with a lifting point or anchorage 36 which aligns closely underneath the lifting point on the jib 11 to which the lifting hook 13 is attached.

For fork-liftduties the jib 11 is brought to a position over the carriage 34 as shown in FIGURE 1, having been slewed to this position prior to the mounting of the supplementary lifting device on the crane. The lifting hook 13 is attached to the anchorage 36 on the carriage 34. Tilting or rocking of the carriage 34 to manipulate'the lower portion or tines 34a thereof under a load, or to manipulate a load 01? the carriage, is effected by derricking the jib 11 about its pivot on the super-structure 10 and thereby tilting the trackway 14 forwardly or rearwardly as may be appropriate. Raising and lowering of the carriage 34 up and down the track-way 14 is effected by taking in or paying out the tackle 12 through the normal crane hoist motion.

The supplementary lifting device above described may be readily removed from the crane by securing the forks or tines 34a of the carriage 34 to the ground (e.g. by placing a load on them) and removing the pin 30 so that the jaw 29 can open to release the shaft or trunnions 26. The crane-is then backed away from the carriage 34 and the jib 11 derricked-out-t'o lower the track-way 14 to the ground. The pin 21 is then removed and the jaws 18 opened to disconnect the upper part of the track-way 14 from the jib after which the hook 13 is disconnected from the anchorage 36 on the carriage. Thus, the supplementary lifting device is completely detached from the crane and the latter can be used for its normal duties. A similar procedure but in the reverse way may be adopted for mounting the supplementary lifting device on the crane i.e. the jib 11 is dcrricked out so that it can be connected to the upper part of the track-Way 14 by the suspension means shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The jib is then derricked-in so as to lift the track-way 14 and enable its lower end to be attached to the super-structure by means of the securing arrangement shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. Finally the hook 13 is attached to the anchorage 36.

A ladder 37 may be provided to afford ready access to the upper part of the track-Way 14 and particularly to the suspension means 16.

A somewhat modified procedure for mounting the supplementary lifting appliance on the crane and dismantling it therefrom is shown in FIGURE 7. This procedure makes use of an additional appliance which may be provided by the present invention.

This additional appliance comprises a trestle 38, which may be mounted on wheels, provided at its upper part with two sockets (e.g. two pairs of spaced apart, back to back channels) 39 and 40 adapted to receivethe tines or prongs 34a of the carriage 34. Also mounted on the trestle is an adjustable stop or rest 41 for the lower end of the guideway 14. Adjustment of the stop or rest about its pivot 41a is effected by a screw mechanism 42 provided with a hand-wheel 43. Manipulation of the stop or rest by its hand-wheel 43 greatly facilitates adjustment of the track-way 14 to align or correctly position the parts of the securing devices and 16.

Using the appliance just described with reference to FIGURE 7 the following procedure is adopted for dismantling the supplementary lifting device of the crane.

Firstly the crane is backed so that the tines or prongs 44a enter the sockets 39 and 46 of the dismantling device as shown in the drawing.

The handle 43 is then adjusted so that the weight of the supplementary lifting attachment is taken by the stop or rest 41. The operator then mounts the ladder and releases the top of the guide-way 14 from the jib and disconnects the hook 13. The lower end of the guide-way 14 is then detached from the crane super-structure by releasing the attaching device 15 after which the crane is driven away so as to leave the supplementary lifting attachment in the dismantling device ready to be mounted on the crane again as and when required.

If desired the tines or prongs 3411 may be made telescopic so that they can be extended in length if desired.

It will be appreciated that the bracket 27 may be on the crane super-structure 10 and a shaft or trunnions, equivalent to the trunnions 26, mounted on the guide-way 14. Similarly the jaws 18 may be on the jib and the trunnions 17 on the upper part of the guide-way 14.

A rubber bumper may be provided, in the vicinity of the lower attachment point 15, for the lower end of the guide-way or column 14.

The invention has a wide field of application to cranes of different types but is of particular advantage in conjunction with a slewing crane. For instance, when attached to a slewing crane the load on the carriage 19 may be lifted and then, by slewing the crane, caused to clear an obstruction. Thus, the arrangement has the advantage over a normal fork-lift truck in that, as distinct from such a truck, it provides the advantage of a crane slewing motion.

For faster and/ or safer travel with a load on the forked carriage 34, 34a the crane jib may be slowed through 180 from the position shown in the drawings and derricked so that the load is located over one axle. With a normal fork-lift truck, the truck has tocarry its load on a carriage extending in front of it.

Existing mobile cranes may readily be converted so that a supplementary lifting device as above described can be attached to them to enable them to do occasional forklift duties.

Safety and load indication devices normally provided on mobile cranes may be used with the supplementary lifting device or attachment according to the present invention.

The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, applicable to mobile cranes.

Preferably the supplementary lifting device is readily detachable from the crane but it could constitute a permanent part of a crane.

I claim:

1. The combination with a jib crane having a slewing superstructure on which the jib is pivotally mounted for derricking movement about a horizontal axis and hoisting tackle carried by said jib, of a lift attachment comprising an upwardly extending column-like trackway, means pivotally and detachably connecting the lower end of said column-like trackway to said crane super-structure for hinging movement about a horizontal axis, means including a pin and inclined slot arrangement detachably articulating the upper end of said track to the jib of the crane whereby derricking movement of the jib tilts said column-like trackway into and out of the vertical, a carriage supported in said trackway for movement therealong and so as to be tilted rearwardly by said movement of the trackway out of the vertical and means connecting said carriage to the hoisting tackle of the crane whereby said tackle is operative to effect such movement of the carriage.

2. The combination with a jib crane having a slewing super-structure on which the jib is pivotally mounted for derricking movement about a horizontal axis and hoisting tackle carried by said jib, of a lift attachment comprising an upwardly extending column-like trackway, means comprising a shaft on the crane super-structure and a hinged releasable jaw device on the trackway operative to embrace said shaft thereby pivotally and detachably to connect the lower end of said column-like trackway to said crane super-structure for hinging movement about a horizontal axis, means including a pin and inclined slot arrangement detachably articulating the upper end of said track to the jib of the crane whereby dern'cking movement of the jib tilts said column-like trackway into and out of the vertical, a carriage supported in said trackway for movement therealong and so as to be tilted rearwardly by said movement of the trackway out of the vertical and means connecting said carriage to the hoisting tackle of the crane whereby said tackle is operative to effect such movement of the carriage.

3. The combination with a jib crane having a slewing super-structure on which the jib is pivotally mounted for derricking movement about a horizontal axis and hoisting tackle carried by said jib, of a lift attachment comprisingan upwardly extending column-like trackway, means pivotally and detachably connecting the lower end of said column-like trackway to said crane super-structure for hinging movement about a horizontal axis, means comprising a shaft on the jib and a hinged releasable jaw device on the trackway operative when closed to form an inclined slot which embraces said shaft thereby detachably to articulate the upper end of said track to the jib of the crane whereby derricking movement of the jib tilts said column-like trackway into and out of the vertical, a carriage supported in said trackway for movement therealong and so as to be tilted rearwardly by said movement of the trackway out of the vertical and means connecting said carriage to the hoisting tackle of the crane whereby said tackle is operative to effect such movement of the carriage.

4. The combination with a jib crane having a slewing super-structure on which the jib is pivotally mounted for derricking movement about a horizontal axis and hoisting tackle carried by said jib, of a lift attachment comprising an upwardly extending column-like trackway, means pivotally and detachably connecting the lower end of said column-like trackway to said crane superstructure for hinging movement about a horizontal axis, means including a pin and inclined slot arrangement detachably articulating the upper end of said track to the jib of the crane whereby derricking movement of the jib tilts said column-like trackway into and out of the vertical, a fork-lift carriage having telescopic prongs supported in said trackway for movement therealong and so as to be tilted rearwardly by said movement of the trackway out of the vertical and means connecting said carriage to the hoisting tackle of the crane whereby said tackle is operative to efiect such movement of the carriage.

5. The combination with a jib crane having a slewing super-structure on which the jib is pivotally mounted for derricking movement about a horizontal axis and hoisting tackle carried by said jib, of a lift attachment comprising an upwardly extending column-like trackway, means comprising a shaft on the crane super-structure and a hinged releasable jaw device on the trackway operative to embrace said shaft thereby pivotally and detachably connecting the lower end of said column-like trackway to said crane super-structure for hinging movement about a horizontal axis, means comprising a shaft on the jib and hinged releasable jaw device on the trackway operative when closed to form an inclined slot which embraces said shaft thereby detachably to articulate the upper end of said track to the jib of the crane whereby derricking movement of the jib tilts said column-like trackway into and out of the vertical, a carriage supported in said trackway for movement therealong and so as to be tilted rearwardly by said movement of the trackway out of the vertical and means connecting said carriage to the hoisting tackle of the crane whereby said tackle is operative to effect such movement of the carriage.

6. The combination of a jib crane having a slewing super-structure on which the jibis pivotally mounted for derricking movement about a horizontal axis and hoisting tackle carried by said jib, a lift attachment comprising an upwardly extending column-like trackway, means pivotally and detachably connecting the lower end of said column-like trackway to said crane super-structure for liinging movement about a horizontal axis, means including a pin and inclined slot arrangement detachably articulating the upper end of said track to the jib of the crane whereby dern'cking movement of the jib tilts said column-like trackway into and out of the vertical, a carriage having horizontal prongs and supported in said trackway for movement therealong and so that said prongs are tilted rearwardly by said movement of the trackway out of the vertical and means connecting said carriage to the hoisting tackle of the crane whereby said tackle is operative to efiect such movement of the carriage, and a dismantling appliance for the lift attachment, said appliance comprising a trestle having socket means for the prongs of the carriage, a rest for the trackway and means for raising and lowering said rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,941,685 McCune June 21, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 614,445 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1948 

